Motorola Moto G review and Moto G 4G LTE review

Despite over nine months elapsing since we originally reviewed it, the Motorola Moto G remains the best budget Android smartphone we've seen. Recently, Motorola released an updated model, adding support for 4G and expandable storage via a microSD card. This review covers both models, but be careful when you're buying to ensure you're getting the model you intended.

Motorola Moto G review and Moto G 4G LTE review

KitKat Update: We are aware that many owners have had problems with their Moto Gs following the software update from Android Jelly Bean to KitKat 4.4. Such issues include loss of mobile signal and dropped calls (or incoming calls going straight to voicemail). Some of these issues also apply to the new 4G version of the Moto G. We have not seen these issues on our review model, but acknowledge that other users are experiencing them. Motorola Moto G review and Moto G 4G LTE review

We asked Motorola for an official response to these problems, and this is the statement we received:

"A very small number of people have reported an issue after the upgrade and the majority of those have now said that the issue has not persisted. We're continuing to monitor the situation but so far we are not seeing a persistent signal loss issue after the upgrade. We are happy for customers to contact our support team providing their IMEI number details, should they have any issues."

See also: The 34 best Android smartphones.

Moto G review: A new upgraded 4G model with expandable storage

We've been using the Moto G since launch and we still really love this phone. It's affordable and - for us - has been reliable. Performance remains excellent too, partly thanks to software updates, including Android 4.4 KitKat, which have arrived promptly when promised - a rarity in itself. The latest update, 4.4.4, is rolling out right now.

Also see: Best budget smartphone 2014: Motorola Moto G vs Motorola Moto E comparison review

Nevertheless, the Moto G isn't flawless. The camera is mediocre, and that means we don't use it that much. Our main problem remains storage as the original Moto G has no microSD card slot for adding more storage, our 8GB model is seriously lacking in space for the apps we want to download and use. There's also a 16GB version.

If you need more storage, then opt for the new version, which has a microSD slot. It also supports 4G LTE for faster mobible broadband, but you'll need to be on a 4G tariff to benefit of course. For more details see: Motorola Moto G 4G LTE release date, price and specs.